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Kitty has allergy symptoms
Okay, so I just took Akira to the vet. The vet did tell me what I already knew--that Akira has some kind of allergy, since she has been scratching like crazy. She prescribed a topical steroid called Animax and told me that I can also use Benadryl cream. The vet thinks that Akira is likely allergic to beef and/or salmon as well as grains. It could be something in the environment, too, because my own allergies have been driving me crazy big time lately, too--for about as long as Akira has been scratching more than usual. It could be all of the above, too. So, I was told to try the process of elimination by using just the turkey Wellness grain free. It's a lot like an elimination diet that people go through for food sensitivities.
The vet had said that Benadryl cream by itself would be enough, but instinctively I knew it wasn't because I had used some sparingly on her itchiest areas and she was clearly still itching really bad. And, I have allergies myself and sometimes need a touch of steroid to calm down the worst symptoms, so I thought the same thing would apply to the cat--to use the steroid cream temporarily, to calm down the skin inflammation enough for the skin to heal--then use the Benadryl in the manner that the vet told me after that, as it is a gentle antihistamine. She also said to buy some Zyrtec and give Akira 1/4 tablet each day for her allergies.
She said that what I had read online about giving oral Benadryl to cats for their allergies is correct, but my instincts to not give it to her without talking to the vet first were right on, too. She wants me to use Zyrtec for the cat right now and told me how much to give her. Since this seems like the conservative approach, I trust what the vet says, although I do think I'll hold back on giving her any oral medication 'til I see how well she does without it.
Does this sound like the right thing to do? To first see how well she does with just the topical medications before trying to administer oral antihistamines--as in 1/4 of a Zyrtec that her vet advised me to give to her?
I mean after losing my previous cat to colon cancer, I just worry about giving anything to Akira orally, because I don't want to go through all that again. Although, except for some itchy allergies, Akira is actually in good health.
When I first got Akira, she was already overweight. I knew she had lost some of the excess weight, though, because she is a lot better shaped. Her doctor said that she lost approximately 1 1/2 pounds. She still needs to lose a little more weight, but it looks like she will lose the rest of the weight without too much effort. Grains are also fattening, so going grain free helped in this regard, too--not just because of her allergies. Her previous owner used to buy cheap stuff in bulk from one of the warehouse stores in an effort to be able to continue to be able to afford to feed her. At that time Akira hadn't shown any signs of having these allergies, so her previous owner was unaware of this before she died. She had certainly done the best she could to take care of Akira under the circumstances she herself was in. That was a slow and steady weight loss, too.
The vet had said that Benadryl cream by itself would be enough, but instinctively I knew it wasn't because I had used some sparingly on her itchiest areas and she was clearly still itching really bad. And, I have allergies myself and sometimes need a touch of steroid to calm down the worst symptoms, so I thought the same thing would apply to the cat--to use the steroid cream temporarily, to calm down the skin inflammation enough for the skin to heal--then use the Benadryl in the manner that the vet told me after that, as it is a gentle antihistamine. She also said to buy some Zyrtec and give Akira 1/4 tablet each day for her allergies.
She said that what I had read online about giving oral Benadryl to cats for their allergies is correct, but my instincts to not give it to her without talking to the vet first were right on, too. She wants me to use Zyrtec for the cat right now and told me how much to give her. Since this seems like the conservative approach, I trust what the vet says, although I do think I'll hold back on giving her any oral medication 'til I see how well she does without it.
Does this sound like the right thing to do? To first see how well she does with just the topical medications before trying to administer oral antihistamines--as in 1/4 of a Zyrtec that her vet advised me to give to her?
I mean after losing my previous cat to colon cancer, I just worry about giving anything to Akira orally, because I don't want to go through all that again. Although, except for some itchy allergies, Akira is actually in good health.
When I first got Akira, she was already overweight. I knew she had lost some of the excess weight, though, because she is a lot better shaped. Her doctor said that she lost approximately 1 1/2 pounds. She still needs to lose a little more weight, but it looks like she will lose the rest of the weight without too much effort. Grains are also fattening, so going grain free helped in this regard, too--not just because of her allergies. Her previous owner used to buy cheap stuff in bulk from one of the warehouse stores in an effort to be able to continue to be able to afford to feed her. At that time Akira hadn't shown any signs of having these allergies, so her previous owner was unaware of this before she died. She had certainly done the best she could to take care of Akira under the circumstances she herself was in. That was a slow and steady weight loss, too.
I have never heard of any domesticated animal that could not suffer from allergies, meaning most do suffer from allergies.
The most common types are hay-fever and dust allergies. Remember dust is not just dust. It is also dirt, human skin slough, dust mites...etc.
The cream is only an outside help. It does not help the internal overactive histamines that can cause other problems.
I have read many studies about Zyrtec and animals. It is highly recommended for larger animals such as large dogs and horses (yes they too suffer allergies). But not such good studies with cats (in the larger studies).
I know that Vets don't often like to use Benedryl because of the sedative effect it may produce. However, with the right dosage per weight it does wonders without long term effects that still have not been studied with prescription medicine.
The AVMA has consistently endorsed medication such as Benedryl for allergies that have not been defined.
You might also ask your vet to do an allergy blood test or even a skin test. They respond just like us 'humans' do.
The most common types are hay-fever and dust allergies. Remember dust is not just dust. It is also dirt, human skin slough, dust mites...etc.
The cream is only an outside help. It does not help the internal overactive histamines that can cause other problems.
I have read many studies about Zyrtec and animals. It is highly recommended for larger animals such as large dogs and horses (yes they too suffer allergies). But not such good studies with cats (in the larger studies).
I know that Vets don't often like to use Benedryl because of the sedative effect it may produce. However, with the right dosage per weight it does wonders without long term effects that still have not been studied with prescription medicine.
The AVMA has consistently endorsed medication such as Benedryl for allergies that have not been defined.
You might also ask your vet to do an allergy blood test or even a skin test. They respond just like us 'humans' do.
Oh, yes, the Zyrtec is the same stuff that people take. I double-checked and triple-checked to make sure I was giving the right medicine to my furry baby. The vet said to just buy the human adult dosage, which is 10 mg and to use the pill splitter to make 1/4 dosages, or 2.5 mg doses for the kitty.
One of the best things that happened was when I went to my usual pharmacy, Walgreens, and talked to the pharmacist about getting the medication for my cat. I have to give these guys much credit for helping me out. They actually contacted the vet's office when I wasn't clear on the dosage, so I could double-check the instructions. The pharmacist actually did this without my asking him! So, I have to give him due credit for this kind of help.
I also wanted to save some money on the store brand medication. It was such a deal, because the usual 14 day packages were double packaged (28 days) and were on sale for a few dollars less than usual as well. So, the pharmacist's assistant double-checked the information on the package in the computer in order to make sure that this was going to be right and safe for my cat. It is clearly the same medication, but there was language on the package suggesting there was more to it. So, they double-checked this information, too--all to make sure I got the right medication for my kitty!
I found out from the vet that I had been doing something right all along when I had used Benadryl cream on the itchy spots out of desperation to help my kitty. She said to continue using Benadryl cream. Wow! What a relief to know this had been what the vet would've recommended anyway.
The vet did prescribe a steroid cream, too. It's called Animax. I mentioned that I felt that Akira needed something more than the Benadryl cream, since I had already been doing that. I know I was right, too, because there was so much redness and irritation where Akira had scratched all her fur off her head in front of her ear. The steroid cream has helped to calm this down. She has an itchy spot on her chin/lower lip, too. So, I've been putting a bit of the Benadryl/Animax on that spot, too. Obviously, I use sparing amounts with this being so close to her mouth. It had been red and irritated, too. The redness there has calmed down, too.
I used discretion on using the steroid, Animax, and use it as little as possible. So, I will reach for the Benadryl cream first. This is actually what I'm supposed to do. I understand that long-term steroid use isn't a good idea, since that's not good for us humans. This is still so much better than steroid injections! I sure am glad veterinarian medicine has made some advances over the years.
I know the massages help relax my furry baby. Akira really likes it. I sure wish I had someone do that for ME. LOL. I'm glad to do it for my kitty. It gives us some special time together. Akira seems to understand that I'm just trying to help make this easier for her.
Since others have similar issues with their kitties, it seemed like a good idea to give the full information I have for this allergy situation. Some day we'll all get to the bottom of what works for our individual kitties. I know folks will be glad to know about the Benadryl cream and the Animax.
One of the best things that happened was when I went to my usual pharmacy, Walgreens, and talked to the pharmacist about getting the medication for my cat. I have to give these guys much credit for helping me out. They actually contacted the vet's office when I wasn't clear on the dosage, so I could double-check the instructions. The pharmacist actually did this without my asking him! So, I have to give him due credit for this kind of help.
I also wanted to save some money on the store brand medication. It was such a deal, because the usual 14 day packages were double packaged (28 days) and were on sale for a few dollars less than usual as well. So, the pharmacist's assistant double-checked the information on the package in the computer in order to make sure that this was going to be right and safe for my cat. It is clearly the same medication, but there was language on the package suggesting there was more to it. So, they double-checked this information, too--all to make sure I got the right medication for my kitty!
I found out from the vet that I had been doing something right all along when I had used Benadryl cream on the itchy spots out of desperation to help my kitty. She said to continue using Benadryl cream. Wow! What a relief to know this had been what the vet would've recommended anyway.
The vet did prescribe a steroid cream, too. It's called Animax. I mentioned that I felt that Akira needed something more than the Benadryl cream, since I had already been doing that. I know I was right, too, because there was so much redness and irritation where Akira had scratched all her fur off her head in front of her ear. The steroid cream has helped to calm this down. She has an itchy spot on her chin/lower lip, too. So, I've been putting a bit of the Benadryl/Animax on that spot, too. Obviously, I use sparing amounts with this being so close to her mouth. It had been red and irritated, too. The redness there has calmed down, too.
I used discretion on using the steroid, Animax, and use it as little as possible. So, I will reach for the Benadryl cream first. This is actually what I'm supposed to do. I understand that long-term steroid use isn't a good idea, since that's not good for us humans. This is still so much better than steroid injections! I sure am glad veterinarian medicine has made some advances over the years.
I know the massages help relax my furry baby. Akira really likes it. I sure wish I had someone do that for ME. LOL. I'm glad to do it for my kitty. It gives us some special time together. Akira seems to understand that I'm just trying to help make this easier for her.
Since others have similar issues with their kitties, it seemed like a good idea to give the full information I have for this allergy situation. Some day we'll all get to the bottom of what works for our individual kitties. I know folks will be glad to know about the Benadryl cream and the Animax.
awww you are a good mommy..the massage sounds wonderful and such a good idea..meds and food changes and itches are so stressful for kitties.
was the zyrtec ordered by your vet?
and do you just purchase the people med thru pharmacy? and give 1/4 tab of a human dose??
so glad to hear this works...I will give it a try too if Sami starts to break out again..
lets keep searching there has to be a long term answer.....
Jade, I too had a kitty with issues that possibly could have been allergy related and I put her through steroids off and on for long periods until they no longer worked and she got very ill....If only I had known all this MH info before, I feel so bad now..
was the zyrtec ordered by your vet?
and do you just purchase the people med thru pharmacy? and give 1/4 tab of a human dose??
so glad to hear this works...I will give it a try too if Sami starts to break out again..
lets keep searching there has to be a long term answer.....
Jade, I too had a kitty with issues that possibly could have been allergy related and I put her through steroids off and on for long periods until they no longer worked and she got very ill....If only I had known all this MH info before, I feel so bad now..
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I'm happy to see the Zyrtec is working. This thread is amazing and I wish I had of known about cat forums when we had our first kitty, Abby. Oh my, but she had allergies to Something and it was just terrible. Poor kitty used to scratch day and night as well as really didn't want us to touch her. Our vet never ever suggested anything simple like Zyrtec or allergy medicine. Instead, gave quite a few coritsone shots (I think cortisone, it's been awhile) which had little to no effect. Abby suffered something terrible and it was awful to watch her scratch so much, not only for her, I hate to say, but for me too...it was just unnerving because I felt so bad and didn't know how to help her. I thank God, Jade doesn't seem to have any such problem. *crosses fingers and toes*
I do hope you get to the bottom of Akira's allergies soon. This is a tough situation to figure out :(
I do hope you get to the bottom of Akira's allergies soon. This is a tough situation to figure out :(
I've been giving Akira the recommended 1/4 tablet of Zyrtec every morning before I give her her breakfast. It is really helping Akira's allergies. I will also put the topical steroid on her some mornings, like I did this morning, since it's better to put as little stress on the animal as possible by doing everything all at one time. She needed a bit of extra help with the allergies this morning, since she was scratching so much while I was on the "throne".
I make things as pleasant as I can for Akira. I spoil her with a massage after I give her all that medicine. She really likes it, and I know I reduce the stress she feels from being forced to take the allergy medicine that she doesn't like. You should've seen her this morning after I was finished massaging her. She was so relaxed that she nearly forgot about being hungry for breakfast. I practically had to peel her off of the chair, so I could get up myself to feed her. LOL. I know that has to help, if it relaxes her that much.
I make things as pleasant as I can for Akira. I spoil her with a massage after I give her all that medicine. She really likes it, and I know I reduce the stress she feels from being forced to take the allergy medicine that she doesn't like. You should've seen her this morning after I was finished massaging her. She was so relaxed that she nearly forgot about being hungry for breakfast. I practically had to peel her off of the chair, so I could get up myself to feed her. LOL. I know that has to help, if it relaxes her that much.
hi the only LAMB I can find is mixed in with chicken so thats out.
there is lamb avail if you go to a raw diet....so maybe thats what I'll have to try.
right now he is loving his fish so much, my vet said leave well enough alone, see if he breaks out again, than we start AGAIN from scratch.!
there is lamb avail if you go to a raw diet....so maybe thats what I'll have to try.
right now he is loving his fish so much, my vet said leave well enough alone, see if he breaks out again, than we start AGAIN from scratch.!
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